Why Am I Procrastinating? Why You Keep Putting Things Off

I’ve had so many conversations with women about procrastination lately.

And what strikes me is how much guilt and frustration can build up around something that looks, from the outside, like simply putting a job off.

It’s the kind where you know exactly what you need to do, you’ve been thinking about doing it for days, sometimes weeks, and yet somehow you find yourself doing absolutely anything else.

• You clean the kitchen.
• You answer an email that could easily have waited.
• You make another list.
• You check your phone.
• You suddenly remember something else you need to do.

And before you know it, the day has disappeared.
 

Then comes the guilt

My clients will say,  

• Why am I like this?
• Why can't I just get on with it?
• I know what I need to do.
• I just can't seem to make myself do it.

So what actually is procrastination?

Merriam-Webster defines procrastination as putting off intentionally the doing of something that should be done.

But when a woman tells me, “I procrastinate,” there's usually more to it.

The really interesting question is Why?

Because putting something off can mean very different things

• Sometimes you're completely overwhelmed.
• Sometimes you're exhausted from doing too much for too long.
• Sometimes you're afraid of getting something wrong.
• Sometimes you're caught in perfectionism or indecision.
• Sometimes your confidence has taken a knock.
• Sometimes there's anxiety sitting underneath the task.
• And sometimes there is simply so much competing for your attention that you don't know where to start.

And let's be real, women are often carrying a ridiculous amount.

• Work.
• Children.
• School runs.
• Meals.
• The house.
• Appointments.
• Family.
• Your partner.
• Parents who need you.
• Trying to look after your own health somewhere in the middle of all of that.

Then there’s everything you have to remember

• Did I book that appointment?
• What do the kids need for school?
• Who’s doing the pick-up?
• Have I answered that email?
• Where’s that form I need to fill in?
• And what was that thing I promised I’d do three weeks ago?

No wonder one client described her mind as having 50 tabs open in her head at all times.

One woman, 50 tabs

Like the computer screen, she flicks between them, tries to do two other things at the same time and struggles to stay with one task long enough to finish it.

She has multiple notebooks, different systems, different lists and different ways of keeping track.

But then she can't stick to the system she's created.

She writes something on a Post-it note or back of an envelope instead.

Then she can't find where she put it.

And underneath all of that are worries about forgetting something, getting something wrong and people thinking she's not good enough.

For her, calling this simply “procrastination” doesn't really tell me enough.

There is a whole picture there around focus, organisation, mental overload and pressure.

Procrastination isn't the same as struggling to concentrate.

I can't concentrate

A woman might say: “I can't concentrate.”

That doesn't automatically mean she's procrastinating.

She might be constantly jumping between things.

She might struggle to stay with one task long enough to finish it.

She might have so much going on in her head that she can't work out what deserves her attention first.

She might have always struggled with focus and organisation and spent years finding ways to work around it.

These things can be part of the bigger picture when someone is struggling to get things done.

What about ADHD?

This is something I hear more and more too.

Some women wonder whether ADHD might explain difficulties they've had for years with focus, organisation, procrastination, time management or constantly jumping between tasks.

Some already have a diagnosis. Others are simply wondering.

Either way, I'm interested in the individual picture, rather than assuming I already know what is going on because someone uses the word procrastination.

Because another woman can experience it completely differently.

This is where homeopathy gets interesting

I'm not looking for a remedy for procrastination. (by the way there isn't one specific homeopathic remedy for procrastination!).

• I'm interested in what it’s like for you.
• What happens when you have too much to do?
• Do you become scattered?
• Do you freeze?
• Do you keep starting things and struggle to finish them?
• Do you put something off because you're afraid, you'll get it wrong?
• Do you need the pressure of a deadline before you can finally get moving?
• What happens when someone criticises you?
• What happens when you have to make a decision?
  
  

And sometimes, the smallest detail changes how I see the case.

Homeopathic remedies and procrastination

For example here a few different remedy pictures for procrastination with different experiences. *

Sulphur can have a very scattered picture, with one thing leading to another and lots started but not necessarily finished.

Lycopodium can have more of a “there is too much to organise and I don't know where to start” picture, with things suddenly getting done when the deadline is looming.

Silica can be considered where someone is conscientious and capable but afraid of getting things wrong and sensitive to criticism.

Same word:

Procrastination.

Very different person.

And that's why I don't prescribe from a symptom list.

It's your version that matters.

And sometimes, when that picture starts to change, the difference can be felt in all sorts of areas of life.

Client Testimonial

“I can’t believe the change…Before, everything felt like a huge effort…

Everything feels so much easier on the remedy. I felt more confident and not as worried about everything. Things don’t seem so daunting now – I can handle this, things are manageable. My thinking is much clearer, it’s less foggy. I’m out of bed earlier now, before I could have slept on. The stress has reduced and my decision making is better.

Alison, Dublin 1

This is what I love about this work

It can be a clue about how you're responding to pressure, how much you're carrying, what you're afraid of, how your confidence has changed or how your mind works when there is too much competing for your attention.

If you recognise yourself in this...

You don't need to know whether it's procrastination, overwhelm, poor concentration, anxiety or something else.

That's part of what we explore together.

We start with your story and look at the whole picture, rather than simply putting a label on the problem.

To get started

You can book your first appointment here.

*The contents of this post are for informational and educational purposes only, not as medical advice. 

Remedies are prescribed on an individualised basis, and while I’ve highlighted potential characteristics of some, many remedy options are available.

Please note, only a small picture of the remedy is included here and for effective results, it is best to work with a homeopath to find a remedy specific to your needs.